Best General of All Time

[Sayeret]

I'll go over the some of the less commonly known generals.

Hannibal fought against the Romans and did it through the Alps with elephants.

Rommel was a in command of Afrika Korps and fought against the British, later he fought against the Allies in Europe.

Gengis Khan took over most of Asia and a lot of Europe. He took over more land than other leader.

Charlemagne did a lot of things and here is a thing about him. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/einhard.html#THE%20LIFE%20OF%20THE%20EMPEROR%20CHARLES

Zhukov pushed the German forces out of Stalingrad http://worldatwar.net/biography/z/zhukov/

Saladin fought against the Crusaders and won many victories




I would say the best general out of all of them is either Alexander the Great or Gengis Khan. Probably Gengis Khan because he used a lot of great tactics such traps and diversions. Which even Schwarzkopf used in the first Gulf War.

[chauncy republicans]

Why is'nt Moshe Dayan in there? Or was'nt he a General...I'm not sure anymore.

[NcDeuce]

Not exactly a broad array of choices...

There are hundreds and hundreds of other general staff officers that are worthy enough to mention: Washington, Lee, *******, Sherman, Stonewall, MacArthur, Bradley, Patton, Powell, etc. etc. etc.

[Fox2]

I don't think this is a fair question, mainly because all of these span so many eras in civilization.

I would say, though, that Genghis Khan was an innovative practicioner of war, even though his personal character may not have been exemplary. As mentioned, some of his concepts are still used today.

I think Patton would be my "favorite" out of this group, though. ;)

[Caraway]

Where is Mannerheim?

[16 OBr SpN]

Rommel.

[AFG]

Desert Fox

:lol:

[Caraway]

If someone is trying to find the best general of all times, that someone should make sure that there is enough generals to choose from.

[digrar]

What about Eisenhower?

[Obergefreiter]

None of the above, Lee, Manstein, Guderian, Julius Ceasar are just a few that should be on the list.

[Mark Sman]

Napoleon

As a general. Not First Counsel or Emperor.

[GazB]

Zhukov did more than just save Stalingrad... he also gave the Japanese such a whipping they looked to the Pacific for resources instead of Siberia... and he did it with crappy light tanks and Polikarpovs rather than Yak-3s and T-34s.

[ronin2172]

kinda hard because u r comparing different eras and u haven't differentiated between tacticians and strategists.....for the 20th century i like rommel...he did more with less....18th i would have to say Napoleon (although i think Wellington is highly underrated)....hwo knows by tomorrow i might change my mind....lol :oops:

[S'13]

What about Ariel Sharon?

His part in the Yom Kippur War can't be ignored.

[catalyst]

Sir John Monash?

C-in-C of ANZAC corps

[Bombtrack]

Sir Arthur Currie - Canadian commander famous for the capture of Vimy Ridge - innovated the creeping barrage, battle rehearsals, and more

[perdurabo]

Polish&Litvian XVIIcent. Hetmans
Jan Zamoyski
Stefan Czarniecki
Koniecpolski
Żółkiewski
and
Jaremi Wiśniowiecki (famous Jarema who put down cossac rebelion of Chmielnicki) -he was "only" prince - kniaz not in military.

[mustamato]

Another bad ass (not really a general though).

http://www.smb.nu/images/pos/9704_underhallskriget_1.jpg
Georg Carl von Döbeln (1758-1820).

http://sv.wikipedia.org/upload/1/13/D%F6beln_vid_Jutas_-_teckning_av_Albert_Edelfelt.jpg

http://sv.wikipedia.org/upload/6/66/Georg_Carl_von_D%F6beln%2C_teckning_av_Albert_Edelfelt_fr%E5n_1903.jpg

[Dalleer]

Another bad ass (not really a general though).

http://www.smb.nu/images/pos/9704_underhallskriget_1.jpg
Georg Carl von Döbeln (1758-1820).

http://sv.wikipedia.org/upload/1/13/D%F6beln_vid_Jutas_-_teckning_av_Albert_Edelfelt.jpg

http://sv.wikipedia.org/upload/6/66/Georg_Carl_von_D%F6beln%2C_teckning_av_Albert_Edelfelt_fr%E5n_1903.jpg

Ja Von Döbeln ratsasti aukkoja katsellen...

[mustamato]

Ja Von Döbeln ratsasti aukkoja katsellen...

So inevitable.

[aktarian]

Balck, Student, Yeremenko, Chuikov, Model, Manstein

[oldsoak]

No Slim ?

[DeltaWhisky58]

I can't believe I'm reading this................No Brits?

Wellington
Sir John Moore
Montgomery
Roy Urquhart
Beresford
Black Bob Crauford


Others

Schwartzkopf
Guderian
Rommel

So typical of threads on this forum - poorly thought out before posting.

[aktarian]

Schwartzkopf


:roll:

[foxtrot023]

None.

There are glaring omissions at the very least:

Alexander the Great
Scipion Africanus
Julius Caesar
Marius
Marlborough
Napoleon
Parma, Alba, Spinola
Manstein
Kesserling


Afterwards, the choice is up to taste. It can be argued that Alexander, or Napoleon or Julius Caesar

[weedman]

According to Ali G.: General Motors :roll: :lol: :lol:

[M_S]

I would say me, I conquered my room without violence! :lol:

[bloddyaxe]

None of these generals you have mentioned are anywhere near Gengish Khans prowress. He defeated scores of emperors and kings, and created the biggest empire the world has ever seen. And he wasn't bothered by insurgents, he made sure they couldn't bother him. He's even a lawmaker, and he killed tons of enemies in personal combat before and after he was made a Gengis Khan. Anyhow I'm talking about the Temudjin, which is known by the title of Gengis Khan, not some impersonator which might exist or not... so really which one of these others could match him?

[James]

I can't believe I'm reading this................No Brits?

Wellington
Sir John Moore
Montgomery
Roy Urquhart
Beresford
Black Bob Crauford


Others

Schwartzkopf
Guderian
Rommel

So typical of threads on this forum - poorly thought out before posting.

Don't forget Douglas Haig...

[catdat]

Leonidas King of the Spartans


“Here did four thousand men from Pelops' land
Against three hundred myriads bravely stand.”
--Memorial to the Spartans

300 Spartans vs 10,000 Persians - The Battle of Thermopylae

[Haiw]

How could Field Marshall Rommel ever be the best General of all time? ;)

[perdurabo]

(I will write Poles but actually they where soldiers of Polish and Lithuanian Commonwelth) in XVI-XVII century Poland and Lithuania had diffrent comanders and diffrent goverments Kings and laws where the same
so there was
Great Hetman of Crown (Poland was referred as Crown because here Kings spend moust of their time and capitol was in Cracov and leater in Warsaw) was highes commander of Polish troops
Great Hetman of Lithuania was highest commander of Lithuanian troops
Field Hetman of Crown was second in Poland
Field Hetman of Lithuania was second in Lithuania

Great hetman of crown (highest polish general) Jan Amor Tarnowski
(1488-1561)
http://www.jest.art.pl/Tarnor60.jpg
afther campign of obertyn he was called one of the brightest commanders in his era.

Krzysztof Radziwiłł (younger) (Lithuanian nobleman and great hetman of Lithuania)
Battle of Toropce 1580
charge 2500 Poles/Litvins aginst 10 000 russian of course he won battle.

Great Hetman of Litva (highest genneral of Lithuanien) Jan Karol Hodkiewycz (1560-1621)
http://www.jest.art.pl/hetchodkiewicz.jpg
battle of Kirholm 27 IX 1605
14 000 Swedes
3500 Poles (whole army made 80kilometers run in 36hours!! from place where they stationed to place of battle -in 17century it was maginficent speed)
6 000 Swedes died Polish loses where around 100!
other his victories:
Battle of Withe Stone (Biały Kamien), Sizet city ov Parnwa with only 2000 troops, he won sea battle with swedes near Ryga and he had only improvised fleet from merchant ships and swedes had normal military fleet! also in battles of Gauja and captured Dynemunt (from swedes) he retired but when Republic was in need because all Crown Hetmans where lost (Żółkiewski died in battle of Cecora and Koniecpolski was in Turkish prison) he took command in battle of Chocim and died there week before victory he was 61)

Hetman Stanisław Żółkiewski
battle of Kluszyn 1620
He won battle with 6800 troops and 2 canons aginst 30 000 of russians 5 000 of mercenaries 11 canons, later we ocupied Moscow only Mongol tribes made that in history too.(Napoleon captured rized city and hold it for few "days" only) (odds 1Pole aginst 5Russians)

Hetman Jan III Sobieski (later Polish&Lithuanian King)(1629-1696) (Battle of Viena!!)
http://www.jest.art.pl/sobieski.jpg
Battle aginst tattar big (around 80 000 ppl in 5 groups also with turkish and cossacs troops) raid on Republic he had only 3000 solders but he defeted them all (in one battle aginst 10 - 8 000 tatars run away in front of 1500 striking hussaria!)
othar his battles:
1667 Cossacs and Turks in Podhajcami
1671 Tatars in Bracław and Kalnik
1673 Turks in Chocim (second battle or even third placed there)
1675 Tatars in Lvov
1676 Turks pod Żórawin
1683 battle of Viena when Poles crushed Turks he also won in battle of Parkany and in numerous battles earlier when he wasent general only colonel.

for more look: http://www.jasinski.co.uk/wojna/comp/comp02.htm

[Brzeczyszczykiewicz]

One more Polish general:
Stanisław Maczek, Maj. Gen., 1894-1994,
comamnder:
1918- Austro-Hungarian Army,
1920 Polish-Soviet war- improvised 'assault battalion'
1939- 10th Armoured Cavalry Bde., Krakow Army
1940- 10th Polish Armored Cavalry Bde., France
1944: 1st Polish Armoured Div., Normandy- Falaise- Bremen- Antwerp- Wilhelmshaven

The guy didn't lost a sigle battle in his whole carreer.

But I vote for Genghis Khan

[oldsoak]

I can't believe I'm reading this................No Brits?

Wellington
Sir John Moore
Montgomery
Roy Urquhart
Beresford
Black Bob Crauford


Others

Schwartzkopf
Guderian
Rommel

So typical of threads on this forum - poorly thought out before posting.

Don't forget Douglas Haig...

...pity we cant forget him... :roll: - Haig that is

[perdurabo]

good commander wins when chanses are 50%-50%
very good when all is aginst him but he has high looses
briliant wins when everything is aginst him and he has very small numeber of casulties

[mustamato]

Another of von Döbeln (down in the corner)

http://tietokannat.mil.fi/postikortti/kuvat/pysty_sven.jpg

[Navy]

Manstein is widely known as THE FIELDCOMMANDER OF THE AXIS IN WORLD WAR 2.

Rommel isnt even close. Manstein saved the entire south front in Russia during the winter/spring 43.

[Samed-ogly]

Alexander Suvorov
http://www.100megsfree4.com/rusgeneral/suv.jpg

[marktigger]

moore falklands 1982
slim burma
montgomery
horrocks

[OldRecon]

Gustavus Adolphus (one of the most inventive field commanders in history)
Nguyen Giap
Baybar
Colin Campbell
Sir Edmund Allenby
General Yama****a
Turenne
Conde
Petain (for his role during WW-1, and despite his role during WW-2).
Hubert Lyateu
George C. Marshall (that's at least one good American considering that we Scandinavians are reputed to slag of at the Yanks at every opportunity :D).
Heinz Guderian.
Von Falkenhayn.
Von Mackensen.
Frederick the Great of Prussia.
Skopelev.
Todleben.
Suvorov.

I for shure wouldn't include Sir Douglas Haig on the list thoug.
He learned along the way, but could definitely have learned a lot quicker and been more imaginitive.

[OldRecon]

According to Ali G.: General Motors :roll: :lol: :lol:



rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl

That was a good one.

On a parallell note the best Scandinavian general ever is General Snus ("General Snuff"). Generalsnus or just "General" being THE favourite brand of Scandinavian snus/snuff.

And our best major ever being major Stuen (or Majorstuen, a sub district on the west-end of the Norwegian capital Oslo. Translated to English the name of major Stuen would literaly be something like "major Living Room" rofl.

[HappyCat]

I just did a quick scan of the lists that were posted, and I don't understand why no one posted the Byzantine general Belisarius, with a small force he almost re-conquered the western half of the roman empire with a singe under strength army. If he hadn't been re called to defend his home, he probably would have conquered it all.

[fdt]

Alexander The Great... no doubt about it!!! He was a "military animal", innovative, daring and charismatic leader. Despite his great achievements in war agianst Greeks and Persians the one particular battle has caused my jaw dropping. Read this part... he was circa 20 years old at the time. The event has been held before he started his great conquest...


When his northern campaign was over, Alexander was preparing to return home when he received news of an Illyrian revolt.

Alexander marched his army at great speed to western Macedonia and, just beyond his frontier, found a very large Dardanian army assembled and waiting. A battle ensued and the Illyrians were driven back into a fortified town. Alexander set camp for the night intending to besiege the town the next day. Unfortunately, by morning another enemy army had arrived. A large Taulantian army had joined the Dardanians and cut off Alexander’s retreat and supply line. The Macedonian army of some 25,000 men and 5,000 horses were quickly running out of supplies. Alexander had to do something and soon, but what?

What would do any other super general in such circumstances?

He was completely surrounded by numerically superior enemy, running out of time and resources...

















He ordered his men to put on a show. Ignoring the enemy, he ordered his phalanx into formation to quietly march back and forth in close drill as he motioned their maneuvers with his arm. The show attracted barbarian onlookers around his camp who not only were surprised but mesmerized by this action, watching the silently drilling phalanx with amazement.

When the time was right, Alexander motioned and the soldiers, in unison, slapped their shields hard with their javelins. And then.... thundering roar of Macedonian heavy armed phalanx Alalalai!!! sounded suddenly in complete silence. This startled the enemy causing some of the horses to bolt in fright. At lightening speed Alexander’s best cavalry, supported by his archers, bolted through the pass, making an opening for the army to escape through. The army, with catapult, archers and cavalry support, then punched a hole right through the middle of the enemy forces and landed on home territory in the meadows around Lake Little Prespa. Not a single man was lost.

Man that was a commander I would like to serve! Brilliant improvisation at it's best!

[The Clip]

All of you would not exist now if it was not for Field Marshall Georgi Zhukov. Remember was the only thing standing between Russian defeat and German victory over the world.

[Pad75]

Napoleon

[fdt]

All of you would not exist now if it was not for Field Marshall Georgi Zhukov. Remember was the only thing standing between Russian defeat and German victory over the world.Pleaseeeee... read smth about the Rzhev pocket campaign (Operation Mars) or the Seelow Heights operation... I know that You are under a fresh influence of the "V" day propaganda, but it doesn't relieve You from backing Your statements with some facts... :cantbeli:

[fdt]

NapoleonSorry, but no match for the Alex... Look at the simple comparison of the both guys' veterans fates... not mentioning the general outcome of all their wars.

[OldRecon]

All of you would not exist now if it was not for Field Marshall Georgi Zhukov. Remember was the only thing standing between Russian defeat and German victory over the world.Pleaseeeee... read smth about the Rzhev pocket campaign (Operation Mars) or the Seelow Heights operation... I know that You are under a fresh influence of the "V" day propaganda, but it doesn't relieve You from backing Your statements with some facts... :cantbeli:

But then Stalin deliberately gave the strongest defended sector to Shukov, while also giving green light for Konev's front to aim for Berlin (which wasn't planned from the outset). The Boss definitely didn't want Zukhov to take too much credit for the Soviet victory.
An impression even more reinforced by the way he was treated by Stalin after the war.
Considering the conditions and immense pressure he worked under I think Zukhov did extremely well.

As for Alexander the Macedon, why do people call him "the Great" while the Danish viking king Hardicanute is denounced as a thug, when both of them more or less spread death and fear around them on their expeditions, and both were motivated by hunt for glory, wealth and power.

[The Clip]

When I can back from service I saluted in front of the Zhukov statue in Kremlin. Zhukov was not afraid of Stalin and he would even swear at him,I was told Zhukov was not nly brave but fiercely tactical at end of the war. :)